Our frenetic New York City public plazas have hosted the Strangers Project on multiple occasions. Each time, the project's magnetism attracts thousands of New Yorkers from every walk of life, who pause and reflect, read the intimate stories of others, and share their own innermost thoughts. In the current climate of strained discourse and division, the Strangers Project is among the most relevant, important and powerful uses of our public space.

The Strangers Project transformed our space into a library of collective secrets and emotions. People flooded off the street into our space - locals, tourists, young and old - and found themselves at home within our walls and amongst the stories Brandon has collected. Many people would spend hours in the space reading, crying, laughing and it created an atmosphere of openness, sharing and empathy. It was an honor to showcase the project and people continue to visit our space and recall their experience of The Strangers Project.

Years ago, I started my own unlikely art project, inviting strangers to mail me their secret anonymously on a postcard. I believe my project, PostSecret, and the Strangers Project are part of a larger tradition of people who value the everyday experiences of ordinary people. By taking this organic approach, Brandon discovered raw authenticity and a wide diversity of experience, which also led to some surprises.

I had no idea how transformative the day would be for both our family and the entire school community. I watched in awe as my second grader, who always refused to write even one small paragraph of original material, eagerly filled two entire pages with her thoughts (and has been writing in a journal ever since). Everywhere I looked, kids were writing furiously without fear or hesitation. Our entire community learned a valuable lesson about empathy and the realization that everyone around us has a story to tell and deserves to be heard and respected. Thank you, Strangers Project!